Jonathan Hefney Scouting Report

Jonathan Hefney, FS, Tennessee

Hefney had a breakout campaign as a junior with 96 tackles -- including 68 solo -- and five interceptions. That performance likely hampered his ability to put up equally strong numbers this past season, with teams cautious to challenge the Vols deep. That resulted in Hefney only having one interception and six pass breakups. He still made a bunch of plays, again notching 96 tackles -- 59 solo. The respect he drew from opposing coaches is illustrated by his selection to the coaches' All-Southeastern Conference first team. Hefney should benefit from his versatility. He's played well at corner and safety during his collegiate career. That's a tribute to his combination of quickness and toughness. His quickness consistently caused problems for teams that liked to get their running back out in the flat. Hefney is a ball hawk, with 26 career pass breakups. He has a smooth transition in coverage. He has experience returning punts, which will boost his value. The biggest problem with Hefney is he's undersized to be a safety and doesn't have the blazing speed (4.47 40-yard dash) to match up with a lot of NFL receivers at corner. He also would have trouble matching up with bigger receivers downfield. There is also some concern as to how he will be able to handle taking on blocks at the line of scrimmage. That's the main reason several NFL teams view him as a corner. Much will depend on how he fits with a team's scheme. He may best be suited to play nickel back. If he proves he can play corner, his stock will rise. Unless he has terrible workouts, it's hard to see him not being a first-day selection.